Cigarette container emptying device



July 2 1967 o. NIEPMANN CIGARETTE CONTAINER EMPTYING DEVICE 4"Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 26, 1965 July 25 1967 b. NIEPMANN 3,332,560

CIGARETTE CONTAINER EMPTYING DEVICE Filed July 26, 1965 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 y 1967 o. NIEPMANN 3,332,560

CIGARETTE CONTAINER EMPTYING DEVICE Filed July 26, 1965 4 Sheets-Sheet I5 July 25, 1967 o. NIEPMANN CIGARETTE CONTAINER EMPTYING DEVICE 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed July 26, 1965 United States Patent 14 Claims. (in. 214-2 The present invention relates to a device for emptying cigarette containers into the hopper of a cigarette packing machine, in which the containers are brought into a position above the hopper by means of a conveying device and in which the empty containers are discharged.

It has been suggested, for instance, in British Patent No. 971,513 to arrange at the front end of a conveying device for full cigarette containers a turning device lifting the containers and also to provide a pushing device transporting the containers to a point above the hopper. The entire arrangement is provided for purposes of handling the cigarettes in a very careful manner and of re-' placing complicated known devices with a plurality of structural elements. According to the device described in the above-mentioned patent, the cigarette containers are pivoted about one of their longitudinal edges and the speed of movement is selected so high that during this pivoting or tilting movement, the cigarettes remain in that position which they occupied during the filling of the container.

One of the drawbacks of the arrangement according to this patent consist in that it requires a relatively large space and in that the cigarette containers may be in-' serted between the advancing means of the transporting table from the side only. This inserting operation requires great care in order to be able to insert the cigarette container between two consecutive advancing means, and

is particularly difi'lcult for the reason that the chain for advancing means is advanced in a tepwise manner so that, in addition to the insertion movement, also an advancing movement is to be considered. In addition thereto, according to this known arrangement, the cigarette containers can be inserted only individually.

A further drawback of the above-mentioned device consists in that the cigarette containers have to be filled in a manner different from that heretofore customary, i.e. the cigarettes have to be placed into the containers with the tip at the open side of the container. This requires change which make the further operation and processing very difficult.

A further drawback of the above-mentioned known device consists in that the cigarette containers have to be tilted at high angular velocity in order to keep that layer of cigarettes which is located adjacent the tilting or pivoting axis in its proper position by centrifugal force. This is necessary since the cigarette containers are never filled up to their upper margin. The cigarette containers have to be stopped in their respective end position very suddenly, which frequently results in an undesired accumulation and back-up of cigarettes.

It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a device for emptying cigarette containers into the hopper of a cigarette packing machine, which will overcome the above-mentioned drawbacks.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a machine as set forth in the preceding paragraph which will require considerably less space than heretofore known devices.

A still further object of the present invention consists in providing a device for emptying cigarette containers into the hopper of a cigarette packing machine, the oper- 3,3325% Patented July 25, 1967 ation of which will be considerably simplified and timesaving.

It is a still further object of the present invention to provide a device as set forth above, into which the cigarette containers may be introduced from above and from the front and into which a plurality of containers may be placed simultaneously.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide a device as set forth in the preceding paragraphs which makes it possible to fill the cigarettes into the cigarette containers with the front end at the open side of the container.

A still further object of the present invention consists in the provision of a device as set forth above which permits an even more careful handling of the cigarettes than was possible with heretofore known devices.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide a device as set forth above, in which the heretofore necessary discharging table for the empty cigarette containers may be eliminated.

It is also an object of the present invention to provide a cigarette container emptying device as set forth above in which the tilting or turning movement of the containers may be effected at a considerably slower speed than was possible with heretofore known devices, while the proper position of the cigarettes in the cigarette container is maintained during the tilting movement.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will appear more clearly from the following specification in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 shows a side view of a cigarette container emptying device according to the present invention;

FIGURE 2 shows the device of FIGURE 1 as seen in the direction of the arrow A in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 illustrates the turning device of the arrangement according to FIGURE 1 on a larger scale than that of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 4 is a section through the holding means of the container discharging device of the arrangement according to FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 5 is a section similar to that of FIGURE 4 but showing a modified holding means according to the present invention;

FIGURE 6 illustrates a detail of the container discharge device of the arrangement shown in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 7 diagrammatically illustrates the control cir cuit for use in connection with the cigarette container emptying device according to the present invention.

The cigarette container emptying device according to the present invention comprises primarily four main units, viz. a magazine, a turning device, a transporting device, and a discharging device. The arrangement according to the present invention is characterized primarily in that the magazine for receiving the filled cigarette containers is arranged at an incline and provided with a movable abutment and lateral stop and holding means and is also provided with lifting means for lifting the filled cigarette containers. The device according to the present invention is furthermore characterized in that the above-mentioned turning device is coupled with an advancing means for the empty containers leaving the transporting device leading to the hopper of the cigarette packing machine. The arrangement according to the present invention is still further characterized in that the discharging device is equipped with resilient holding means.

According to a further feature of the present invention, the supporting means of the magazine acting as an oblique plane or slope are equipped with a slide foil or with slide rollers. Advantageously, the movable abutment mentioned above may occupy a filled container receiving position, an intermediate position in which the abutment is displaced-with regard to the receiving position by a distance corresponding to the widthof the by a'few millimeters with regard to the above-mentioned intermediate position. Both said abutment and lateral stopand holding means, by means of which the subsequent container is, in. the intermediate po ition of the abutment, held in a position corresponding to the receiving position of the abutment for this subsequent container, are actuated by a compressed air operable cylinder piston system. The above-mentioned lifting means which effects the movement of the filled containers coming from the oblique. plane of the magazine to the turning device, is guided at guiding rods and is displaced between two abutment angle iron for aligning the filled cigarette containers, "by means of a compressed air operable cylinder piston system.

The turning device according to the present invention comprises a compressed air operable cylinder piston system, a gear wheel segment associated therewith, and a gear meshing with aid segment and mounted on the shaft of a container receiving U-shaped pocket. The shaft of said pocket has connected thereto a plurality of dogs adapted to enter oblong holes of the horizontally movable above-mentioned advancing means.

Accordingto a further feature of the present invention, the transporting device is provided with two jaws operable by means of a clamping rod against the thrust of a spring and is furthermore provided with lateral guiding rollers moving along a guiding rail.

At the point where the empty containers are transferred from the transporting device to the discharging device, a supporting plate is arranged onto which the empty containers are held by means of oppositely located holding brushes. There are furthermore provided resilient holding means arranged at two beams and behind said holding brushes when looking in the direction of movement of the empty cigarette containers. These holding means are designed either as friction rollers for smooth-walled containers or are designed as hooks for containers provided with a rim or holding strip. These holding means are'pressed against the narrow ide of the empty containers through the intervention of a spring.

In order to prevent the uppermost layer of cigarettes from becoming disarranged during the tilting movement of the container about its broad side, a pressure strip is arranged at the turning pocket, which strip is adapted to "be pressed into a recess in the base of the U-shaped the turning pocket by the transporting device.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, the device for emptying cigarette containers into the hopper of a cigarette packing machine comprises a frame 1 and four main units connected thereto, viz. a magazine 30 for filled containers, a turning device 40 for inverting the filled container, a transporting device 50 for moving the -filled containers to unloading position, and a discharging device 60 for receiving emptied containers. The entire device is intended for automatically emptying filled cigarette containers above a hopper 3 (FIG 2) and for withdrawing empty containers from the emptying device above the receiving point for the filled containers.

In order to make possible this automatic emptying of the cigarette containers, the magazine 30, which has spaced beams 34, is arranged at an incline with regard to the horizontal planeand isprovided with an abutment 31 moveable in the direction of the length of said magazine and stop and holding means 32 moveable laterally of the magazine to grip and hold a container, and is also provided with lifting means 33 to lift a container upwardly from the magazine. These three elements 31,- 32 and 33 cooperate to bring about a step-wise advance of filled containers 7a which slide, due to their own weight, along a sliding foil or sliding rollers 35 forming the bottom wall of the magazine, and also bring about a lifting of the filled cigarette containers 7a in the direction of guiding rods '38. For actuating the above-mentioned three elements, magazine 36' is provided on the underside thereof with a compressed air operable cylinder 36 connected to moveable abutment 31, compressed air operable cylinder means 37 connected to stop and holding means 32, and a further compressed air operable cylinder 39 is connected to lift means 33. Stop and holding means 32 are mounted on rods 32a which are rotated by motor means 37 to move means 32 toward and away from the containers. Two angles 37 at the lower end of magazine 30 serve for properly aligning the filled containers reaching the lower end of the magazine, Compressed air operable cylinder 39 consecutively displaces the filled containers 7a from the lower end of the magazine upwardly into the open sided pocket 42 of turning device 40.

Lifting means 33 takes the form of a platform 33a which, as mentioned, is connected to upwardly acting compressed air operable cylinder 39. Platform 33a is slidably guided on rods 38 which are fixed in frame 1.

Above and aligned with platform 33a is a receiving pocket 42 into which the filled containers are pushed by upward movement of the platform. Pocket 42 is rotatable to invert the containers and forms a main part of the turning device. Pocket 42 is supported on a shaft 49 for rotation about the axis of the shaft. 7

Pocket 42 of the turning device 40 is actuated in it turning movement by a compressed air operable cylinder piston system 41 connected to actuate a gear wheel segment 42 through the intervention of a lever 43a. Segment 43 meshes with a gear 44 on the shaft 49 to which is fixedly connected to above-mentioned pocket 42. Gear 44 or shaft 49 has fixed thereto a lever arm 44a, which carries a dog 45 at its outer end.

Dog 45 is adapted to an oblong hole or slot 47 of a container advancing means 46 which is slidably supported on the stationary horizontal guiding rods 48.' It will be seen that clockwise rotation of pocket 42 and gear 44 will cause dog 45 to move advancing means 46 toward the right on guide rods 48 while rotation of the pocket and gear in the other direction will retract the advancing means to its FIGJI position.

Transporting device 50 (see FIG. 2) comprises two transporting jaws 51 displaceably mounted on a stationary guiding rod 52. laws 51 are movable toward each other 53. Clamping rod 55 is actuated by a motor 55'. By means of this transporting device 50 a filled container 7a is withdrawn from pocket 42, and is moved laterally to a point above hopper 3, is emptied and moved backwhile still being suspended between jaws 5land is transferred into 'discharging'device with a subsequent movement of pocket 42. Hopper 3 has a flexible closure band 61 covering the upper open end. The containers, open end down are moved over the band 61 by the jaws 51. Band 61 engages a roller 61a mounted on a shaft 61!; on which is a gear (not shown) which meshes with rack 61c. Motor 61d is operable to reciprocaterack 61c thereby to rotate roller 61a so as to draw band 61 from beneath a container so the contents of the container will drop into the hopper and to return the band to hopper closing position.

In discharging device 60 the empty containers 7b are placed on a plate 64 by movement of advancing means 46 when the latter is actuated by the turning device 40.

The containers are held on plate 64 by means of holding brushes 63 arranged opposite plate 64. Due to the movement of subsequent empty containers 7b to plate 64, the empty containers are pushed on outwardly between resilient holding means 61 arranged on a beam 62. These resilient holding means are designed either as friction rollers 65 (see FIG. 4) or as hooks 66 (see FIG. 5). Friction rollers 65 are employed when smooth containers are passed through the emptying device, whereas hooks 66 are employed in case the containers are provided with lateral strips. In both instances, a clamping force is produced between two oppositely located holding means 61 by means of springs 67, which securely holds the empty containers 7b but permits the containers to be withdrawn by hand in downward direction without requiring much effort on the the operators part.

Due to the novel design of the discharging device according to the present invention, the heretofore customary discharging table is eliminated. In this way, sufiicent space is left for an operator to insert the filled containers into the emptying device inasmuch as, first, empty containers are withdrawn and then the filled containers are placed onto the magazine. Furthermore, the discharging device is arranged sufficiently above the head of a person of average size.

' Operation With the cigarette emptying device according to the present invention, the filled cigarette containers 7a are placed by hand into the inclined magazine 30. Due to their own weight, the containers slide on the above-mentioned slide foil or slide rollers 35 toward the left with regard to FIG. 1. Containers 7a then rest against movable abutment 31 which is, in this instance, in the position shown in FIG. 1, i.e. in receiving position. Subsequently, movable abutment 31 is, by means of compressed air operable cylinder piston system 36 moved into its intermediate position (not shown in FIG. 1) in which abutment 31 is displaced toward the left with regard to FIG. 1 by a distance corresponding to the length of the narrow side of a container 7a. In this intermediate position the next container 7a is held by means of the lateral stop and holding means 32 which are actuated by piston-cylinder means 32. Following this operation movable abutment 31 is displaced further to the left by a few millimeters into its discharging position in which filled container 7a is now disposed aboye platform 33a of lifting means 33.

Due to the separation of subsequent container 7a in the left-hand portion of magazine 30, lifting of the respective container located above lifting means 33 is considerably facilitated inasmuch as no frictional forces between the container to be lifted and the subsequent containers have to be overcome.

Container 7a is from the last-mentioned position in which it is laterally aligned by means of the aligning angles 37 in the lower left-hand portion of magazine 30 (with regard to FIG. 1) lifted by compressed air operable cylinder piston system 39 through the intervention of lifting means 33 along guiding rods 38, and is introduced into the turning pocket 42 of turning device 40, Container 7a is held in pocket 42 by resilient hook 420. Hook 42c is self resilient and yields outwardly when a container is pushed into the pocket but will snap over the lower end of the container and hold it in the pocket.

Following the insertion therein of a filled container 7a, pocket 42 is, through the intervention of compressed air operable cylinder piston system 41,- gear segment 43 and gear 44, rotated by about 200 in the clockwise direction as viewed in FIG. 1 to a position such that filled container 7a is in a vertical position with its open end facing in downward direction. In the position of the pocket 42 shown in FIG. 3, which is prior to the above mentioned rotation, pressure strip 42a presses against the uppermost layer of the cigarettes in container 7a, so that the cigarettes in this layer do not become disarranged during the turning movement of the container. This measure is necessary in asmuch as the containers 7a are filled very irregularly and never up to the upper margin of the container. The pressure of strip 42a is quite light and, after the pocket 42 is rotated, the strip 42a retracts and does not interfere with lateral movement of the container out of pocket 42.

After pocket 42 has been rotated the said 200 to place the container in inverted position, container 7a is by means of-lateral transporting jaws 51 moved toward the left (which regard to FIG. 2) out of pocket 42 to a position over hoifer 3 and is emptied by releasing the cigarettes therefrom at a point above hopper 3 by retracting band 61 from above the hopper. During this emptying operation container 7b is held between jaws 51 and is returned by the latter into its starting position in transporting device 50. Prior to return of the emptied container to its starting position, turning device is operated to dispose pocket 42 for receiving filled container 7a. During the turning movement of a subsequently filled container 7a by means of turning device 40, advancing device 46 is through the intervention of dog moved along guiding rods 48 toward the right (with regard to FIG. 1) whereby empty container 7b is placed upon supporting plate 64. Container 7b is held in this position by holding brushes 63.

In discharging device the empty containers lb are by means of subsequent empty containers pushed between lateral holding elements 61, which may be designed either as friction rollers 65 or as hooks 66. Discharging device 60 is progressively filled with empty containers in view of the continuous feeding of empty containers therein to through the intervention of advancing device 46. Empty containers 7b may be withdrawn from discharging device 60 by hand by pulling in downward direction. The arrangement is such that the force of springs 67 of resilient holding element 61 may easily be overcome inasmuch as they have been dimensioned in such a way that they exert a force just sufficient to hold the empty containers 7b.

In order to make use of the time which is required for the lateral displacement of the filled containers, the emptying of the containers and the return movement of the empty containers from a point above hopper 3 to a point above turning device 40, according to the present invention, the drive for turning device 40 is designed in such a way that a filled container 7a is, immediately following its insertion into pocket 42, brought into the position indicated in dash-lines in FIG. 1. In this position, dog 45 is located directly in front of oblong hole 47 so that immediately following the placing of empty container 7b onto advancing device 46, the latter may be immediately advanced during the remaining portion of the turning movement of pocket 42.

The cigarette container emptying device according to the present invention is controlled by pneumatic and electropneumatic control valves arranged in a control circuit, which is designed as follow-up control. More specifically with regard to FIG. 7, the control circuit shown therein comprises a main switch 70 upon actuation of which the solenoid controlled valve 71 is opened. In response to opening of valve 71, fluid is supplied via pilot operated valve to motor 36 so that moveable abutment 31 moves toward the left with regard to FIG. 1 (downwardly in FIG. 7) and thereby shifts the stack of cigarette containers held in magazine 30 to the left in FIG. 1. Prior to movable abutment 31 reaching its end position, auxiliary control valve 72 is actuated thereby which in turn supplies fluid to pilot operated main valves 73 and 74 to shift the same. Valve 73 brings about an actuation of pilot operated stop valve 73a for the movable abutment 31 so that the latter comes to a standstill. Simultaneously, the cylinder means 37' for the lateral stop and holding means 32 is subjected to compressed air through the intervention of valve 74, whereupon the two clamping jaws of stop and holding means 32 engage the next to the last container in the magazine and prevent a further movement of the stack of cigarette containers in magazine'30. During this movement valve 73 is again actuated through the intervention of auxiliary control valve 75 so that movable abutment 31 may now move into its end position with one cigarette container 7a, as described above. In this end position, an auxiliary control valve 76 is actuated which in turn initiates a control movement of pilot operated main control valve 77. This control movement results in the lifting of the piston rod of cylinder piston system 39. In this way the cigarette container located on lifting means 33 is lifted into the pocket 42 and is held therein by resilient hook 420.

In its upper end position lifting means 33 actuates a valve 78 which effects a control movement of valve 79 resulting in the downward movement of lifting means 33. When lifting means 33 reaches its lowermost position, main control valves 80 and 84 and a precontrol valve 81 are actuated through the intervention of auxiliary control valve 79 which is operated by the lifting means. Valve 80 brings about that cylinder piston system 36 is subjected to compressed air so that the piston rod of said cylinder piston system 36 is returned to its starting position wherein it actuates a valve 82. Valve 82 brings about that valve 74 is closed whereby the cylinder piston system for the lateral stop and holding means 32 becomes ineffective and the holding means opens. In this instance, a tension spring will open the clamping jaws holding the stack of cigarette containers, and the stack of cigarette containers will move to the left and engage movable abut-- ment 31.

In view of the above-mentioned actuation of main control valve 84, cylinder piston system 41 will be subjected to compressed air and tilting pocket 42 will rotate about its axis into the intermediate position shown in dot-dash lines in FIG. 1. By actuating precontrol valve 81 and auxiliary control valve 83, if the piston rod of cylinder piston system 55 has moved in downward direction with regard to FIG. 7 main control valve 85 will be actuated. In this way cylinder piston system 41 will rotate tilting pocket 42 into its upper end position. Thus, the lifted cigarette container is rotated by 180 so that the open side of the cigarette container faces in downward direction. As soon as pocket 42 reaches its upper end position, the direction of movement of main control valve 87 is reversed through the intervention of auxiliary control valve 86 and cylinder piston system 55 is actuated. Simultaneously valve 81 is returned to its locking position. In this position the cigarette container is grasped by the two clamping jaws 51, lifted by a few millimeters and moved toward the left with regard to FIG. 2 until it is located above the hopper of the cigarette packing machine. After the cigarette container has reached this position, main control valve 85 is actuated through the intervention of auxiliary control valve 88, and the tilting device 40 is returned to its lower or starting position whereupon tilting device 40 actuates valve 89. This will cause actuation of movable abutment 31 whereupon the entire cycle will restart so as to transport another cigarette container 7a from magazine 30 to a 1evel above hopper 3 of the cigarette packing machine.

A photo-cell 90 supervises the lowering of the level of cigarettes in cigarette container 7a. As soon as the cigarette container is emptied, the movement of main control valve 87 is electromagneticallyreversed whereby cylinder transporting device 50 will move the empty cigarette container onto a transport carriage. As soon as transporting device 50 reaches its end position, it will actuate auxiliary control valve 83 so as to initiate actuation of valve 85 to thereby cause pocket 42 to rotate and thereby lift another full cigarette container, as described above.

It is, of course, to be understood, that the present invention is, by no means, limited to the particular constructions shown in the drawing, but also comprises any modifications within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a machine for emptying containers into a hopper, said containers being open at one end and adapted to receive cigarettes; a magazine for receiving the containers in side by side relation open end uppermost, said magazine being inclined so the container will move downwardly thereon by gravity, a lift device at the lower end of the magazine to engage the lowermost container on the magazine from beneath and move it upwardly from the magazine, abutment and step means adjacent the lower end of the magazine for feeding the containers one at a time to said lift device, an open sided pocket rotatably mounted above said lift device having a rotated lower position for receiving a container from the lift device and a rotated upper position where the container therein is inverted and is located in a first position at one end of a lateral path, a transporting device operable to engage a container in said first position and while in said pocket and to move it laterally from the pocket to a point of discharge over said hopper and then back to said first position, drive means for moving said pocket to its lower position during said lateral movement of said container, a discharge conveyor leading horizontally from said first position over said magazine for receiving empty containers from said first position, a pusher normally disposed on the side of said first position opposite said conveyor and operable for pushing empty containers from said first position thereof to said conveyor, and actuating means operated in response to movement of said pocket from its lower position to its upper position for actuating said pusher in the direction to push a container from said first position toward said conveyor.

2. In a machine for emptying containers into a hopper, said containers being open at one end and adapted to receive cigarettes; a magazine for receiving the containers in side by side relation open end uppermost, said magazine being inclined so the container will move downwardly thereon by gravity, a lift device at the lower end of the magazine to engage the lowermost container in the magazine and lift it upwardly from the magazine, abutment and stop means adjacent the lower end of the magazine for feeding the containers one at a time to said lift device, an open sided pocket rotatably mounted above said lifttdevice having a rotated lower position for receiving a container from the lift device and a rotated upper position where the container therein is inverted and is located in a first position at one end of a lateral path, a transporting device operable to engage a container in said first position and while in said pocket and to move it laterally from the pocket to a point of discharge over said hopper and then back to said first position, drive means for moving said pocket to its lower position during said lateral movement of said container, a discharge conveyor leading horizontally from said first position over said magazine for receiving empty containers from said first position, a pusher normally disposed on the opposite side of said first position from said conveyor and adapted for pushing empty containers from said first position thereof to said conveyor, and actuating means operated in response to'rotating movement of said pocket from its lower position to its upper position for actuating said pusher in the direction to push a container from said first position toward said conveyor, said abutment and stop means comprising an abutment in the path of said containers so as to abut the lowermost of the containers and stop the containers on the magazine, stop means operable to engage and hold the container next to the one engaging the abutment, means to move the abutment downwardly along said magazine while the stop means are effective to permit movement of the container engaging the abutment into the range of said lift device, and means t t e eafter moving said abutment upward- 9 1y along said magazine and for making said stop means ineffective.

3. A machine according to claim 2 in which said movable abutment has one end position wherein it is moved upwardly along the magazine and engages the container which is in the range of the stop means, an intermediate position wherein it is spaced downwardly along the magazine from said first position a distance equal to the dimension of the container in the direction of movement of the container and a second end position furtherest down in said magazine and only slightly spaced from said intermediate position, and fluid motor means connected to said abutment for moving said abutment.

4. A machine according to claim 3 in which said stop means acts laterally so as to engage containers from the opposite sides thereof and is provided with fluid operated actuating means for operating the stop means in timed relation to said abutment, so the stop means are ineffective only when said abutment is in its said one end position.

5. A machine according to claim 1 in which said lift device comprises a fluid operable member engageable with the bottom of the container to be lifted, guide means guiding said member and angle means parallel to said guide means for engaging and guiding the container being lifted by said member.

6. A machine according to claim 1 in which a supporting shaft is provided for said pocket, first gear means on the shaft, second gear means meshing with said first gear means, and fluid operable means connected to said second gear means for actuating the same.

7. A machine according to claim 1 in which a supporting shaft is provided for said pocket, first gear means on the shaft, second gear means meshing with said first gear means for actuating the same, said pusher and said shaft having cooperating elements of a slot and actuating dog means thereon interengageable for actuating the pusher as the shaft turns.

8. A machine according to claim -1 in which said transporting device includes resilient jaw means operable when actuated to grasp the container to be moved laterally on the opposite sides thereof, and guide rail means supporting and guiding said device in its lateral movement.

9. A machine according't-o claim 1 in which the receiving end of said conveyor comprises a lower support plate and holding brush means above the plate, said plate and brush means forming an entrance region for the conveyor into which said containers are pushed by said pusher.

10. A machine according to claim 1 in which the receiving end of said conveyor comprises a lower support plate and holding brush means above the plate, said plate and brush means forming an entrance region for the conveyor into which said containers are pushed by said pusher, said conveyor comprising resilient means for releasably engaging the upper portions of containers supplied thereto whereby the container can be released from the conveyor by pulling downwardly on the containers.

11. A machine according to claim 9 in which said resilient means comprises hook-like slide members spring pressed toward the container.

12. A machine according to claim 9 in which said resilient means comprises rollers spring pressed toward the container.

13. A machine according to claim 1 in which said pocket includes a resilient holding hook to engage and support therein a container placed in the pocket of the lift device while permitting lateral movement of the container out of said pocket.

14. A machine according to claim 1 in which said pocket includes a pressure strip adapted .toenter the open end of a container introduced into the pocket to engage and hold articles in the container against shifting movement therein when the pocket and container are inverted, said pocket having a recess to receive said strip, and said strip retracting into said recess when the pocket and container are inverted so the strip does not interfere with lateral movement of the container out of the pocket.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,681,160 6/1954 Molins et al. 214-302 3,190,478 6/1965 Schmermund 214307 3,239,085 3/1966 Schmermund 214-307 HUGO O. SCHULZ, Primary Examiner. 

1. IN A MACHINE FOR EMPTYING CONTAINERS INTO A HOPPER, SAID CONTAINERS BEING OPEN AT ONE END AND ADAPTED TO RECEIVE CIGARETTES; A MAGAZINE FOR RECEIVING THE CONTAINERS IN SIDE BY SIDE RELATION OPEN END UPPERMOST, SAID MAGAZINE BEING INCLINED SO THE CONTAINER WILL MOVE DOWNWARDLY THEREON BY GRAVITY, A LIFT DEVICE AT THE LOWER END OF THE MAGAZINE TO ENGAGE THE LOWERMOST CONTAINER ON THE MAGAZINE FROM BENEATH AND MOVE IT UPWARDLY FROM THE MAGAZINE, ABUTMENT AND STEP MEANS ADJACENT THE LOWER END OF THE MAGAZINE FOR FEEDING THE CONTAINERS ONE AT A TIME TO SAID LIFT DEVICE, AN OPEN SIDED POCKET ROTATABLY MOUNTED ABOVE SAID LIFT DEVICE HAVING A ROTATED LOWER POSITION FOR RECEIVING A CONTAINER FROM THE LIFT DEVICE AND A ROTATED UPPER POSITION WHERE THE CONTAINER THEREIN IS INVERTED AND IS LOCATED IN A FIRST POSITION AT ONE END OF A LATERAL PATH, A TRANSPORTING DEVICE OPERABLE TO ENGAGE A CONTAINER IN SAID FIRST POSITION AND WHILE IN SAID POCKET AND TO MOVE IT LATERALLY FROM THE POCKET TO A POINT OF DISCHARGE OVER SAID HOPPER AND THEN BACK TO SAID FIRST POSITION, DRIVE MEANS FOR MOVING SAID POCKET TO ITS LOWER POSITION DURING SAID LATERAL MOVEMENT OF SAID CONTAINER, A DISCHARGE CONVEYOR LEADING HORIZONTALLY FROM SAID FIRST POSITION OVER SAID MAGAZINE FOR RECEIVING EMPTY CONTAINERS FROM SAID FIRST POSITION, A PUSHER NORMALLY DISPOSED ON THE SIDE OF SAID FIRST POSITION OPPOSITE SAID CONVEYOR AND OPERABLE FOR PUSHING EMPTY CONTAINERS FROM SAID FIRST POSITION THEREOF TO SAID CONVEYOR, AND ACTUATING MEANS OPERATED IN RESPONSE TO MOVEMENT OF SAID POCKET FROM ITS LOWER POSITION TO ITS UPPER POSITION FOR ACTUATING SAID PUSHER IN THE DIRECTION TO PUSH A CONTAINER FROM SAID FIRST POSITION TOWARD SAID CONVEYOR. 